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Thursday, March 15, 2012

An early morning errand in the posh Gold
Coast neighborhood afforded me a look at where the elite
meet to shop and eat. In the midst of these environs sits a small
one-story building on E. Bellevue where The Original Pancake
House does business. At the time I thought it was a local
chain restaurant but have since learned that it had started in
Portland, Oregon in 1953, and has since expanded to over 100
locations across the country, none of which reside in Iowa.

At this particular franchise, the interior was confined but cozy,
the staff was friendly, and tables and chairs were crafted from
solid, dark-stained wood. Seated I peruse the menu. Not being
particularly fond of either pancakes or waffles, I chose a unique
Benedict specialty called Eggs Michael: a split and toasted
English muffin with two grilled sausage patties, two poached eggs,
topped with a mushroom sherry sauce, served with a trio of potato
pancakes with small sides of applesauce and sour cream.

The mushroom sherry sauce was a delicious alternative to
Hollandaise, boasting a similar brightness. The yolk was a little
runnier than I prefer – medium – but the whites were firm. The
pancakes were potatoey enough for my savory preferences, with a
light crisp on the exterior. On a lark I ordered a side of the
house salsa. Zesty, with wee crunchy bits of onion and
jalapeño it was excellent on the pancakes with a dollop of
sour cream.

Given a choice between The Original Pancake House, and IHOP, the 800-pound gorilla of
pancake franchises, I'd pass on IHOP every time. Throw Waffle House in the mix?
It's hard to pass up on cheese grits or hash browns covered in
chili, but I'm willing to give it a go.